Rich and Poor

By the early 1900s our people, that controlled the mouth of the Columbia River for millennia, had become desperate for even the most basic resources.

Sam Pickernell, pictured above, was a long time Bay Center resident who told of a time in his youth when his grandmother would take him “gathering.” This “gathering” was actually collecting fish heads and back bones from underneath local canneries at low tide. His grandmother, Emma Luscier (also pictured), was an important informant, culture keeper and resident of Bay Center as well.

Sam and Emma were rich in culture and the knowledge of their ancestors. They were forced to survive on the American’s garbage.

Chinook people deserve better. Please take Executive action to right these wrongs.